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Revenge Fueled Women in "TRANSPORTER 4 REFUELED"

Wednesday, August 26, 2015

In the French Riviera’s criminal underworld, the best
driver money can buy is about to be taken to an all-new level of speed and
torque in “Transporter 4 Refueled.” The movie stars Ed Skrein and Loan Chabanol
who race through the streets of Monaco in a state-of-the-art Audi, Frank
(Skrein) unwittingly becomes entangled in a scheme to bring down Yuri (Yuri
Kolokolnikov), the Russian human trafficker who forced Anna (Chabanol) into prostitution
15 years ago.

The
script of “Transporter 4 Refueled” by Bill Collage, Adam Cooper and Luc Besson
offered an entirely new take on the high-octane action series, which centers on
a tough, tight-lipped, highly skilled driver-for-hire. “Refueled is more filled
out than earlier Transporter movies because we have several layers, several
characters, lots of subplots and revelations that get slowly revealed
throughout the film,” observes director Camille Delamarre. “We developed
Frank’s character to be less of a caricature. Instead of the bodybuilding hero
who never loses or takes a bad hit, Frank’s character suffers. He hurts. And he
also does his fair share of attacking.”

Although
it features plenty of the stunt driving, fight scenes and plot twists that have
made the franchise an enduring favorite among moviegoers, the action is fueled
by intriguing characters with compelling backstories. Frank is haunted by his
wartime service and has a tense relationship with his father, a retired spy.
Anna, a prostitute since an early age, refuses to remain a victim of her
ruthless pimp. “Besides having a new Transporter and lots of sexy elements,
Refueled gives the audience a complex story full of new developments,” says
Delamarre.

As
for the new Transporter himself, Ed Skrein takes unabashed pride in his
character’s journey through the mean streets of southern France. “Rolling
around on the floor wrestling and fighting with bamboo sticks and punching
other guys with pads on and fighting in front of a moving car—the only time you
want to be in situations like that is when you’re on a film set,” he says. “I’m
a complete pacifist myself, but when it’s scripted that I get in a fight and
win, it’s fantastic.”

The
robberies, kidnappings and gun fights are orchestrated by the cunning women who
take charge in Refueled. Anna, portrayed
by Paris-born actress Loan Chabanol (Fading Gigolo) is the leader of this pack
of fierce beauties. “Anna’s mysterious,
smart, manipulative and charming when she needs to be,” says Chabanol. “She was
born in the Soviet Union and was forced to become a prostitute at the age of
12. Now she’s looking for revenge because everything has been taken away from
her and she wants to get it back.”

To
complement the film’s luxuriant cinematography and production design, Anna and
her posse were outfitted in fashion-forward ensembles sourced from high-end
brands. “The women in Refueled dress like sexy, very fashionable models,” says
Delamarre, whose wife designs purses for an international fashion house. “We
had partnerships with several luxury brands who loaned us accessories, purses
and dresses.”